BUT God! We are lost in ourselves but God intervenes in our plans when we turn our control over to Him. His plans are always for our good and in Holy Spirit we change . Our hearts are turned to His in the mercy and truth of Jesus that He gives to all who accept Him. We become His living testimony to others in our sharing of the Good News of Jesus.
Ruth 1:1-5 Now it came to pass, in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehem, Judah, went to dwell in the country of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons. 2 The name of the man was Elimelech, the name of his wife was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion—Ephrathites of Bethlehem, Judah. And they went to the country of Moab and remained there. 3 Then Elimelech, Naomi’s husband, died; and she was left, and her two sons. 4 Now they took wives of the women of Moab: the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth. And they dwelt there about ten years. 5 Then both Mahlon and Chilion also died; so the woman survived her two sons and her husband.
Moab was forbidden to the Israelites. Naomi found herself there without her husband or her sons. She decided to return to Bethlehem her place of origin.
Ruth 1:11-16 But Naomi said, “Turn back, my daughters; why will you go with me? Are there still sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands? 12 Turn back, my daughters, go—for I am too old to have a husband. If I should say I have hope, if I should have a husband tonight and should also bear sons, 13 would you wait for them till they were grown? Would you restrain yourselves from having husbands? No, my daughters; for it grieves me very much for your sakes that the hand of the Lord has gone out against me!” 14 Then they lifted up their voices and wept again; and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her. 15 And she said, “Look, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law.” 16 But Ruth said: “Entreat me not to leave you, Or to turn back from following after you; For wherever you go, I will go; And wherever you lodge, I will lodge; Your people shall be my people, And your God, my God.
Ruth chose to stay with Naomi and to choose the God of the Israelites. In her loyalty to Naomi the lineage of Jesus was established in her marriage with a close relative the man Boaz. The Moabite gentile united with the Israelite Jew to form the salvation that would be offered to the world in Jesus the Christ.
God directs our life. In Him we are placed exactly where we are supposed to be. We are prepared for the good works that He has prepared beforehand for us.
Jonah 3:5-10 So the people of Nineveh believed God, proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them. 6 Then word came to the king of Nineveh; and he arose from his throne and laid aside his robe, covered himself with sackcloth and sat in ashes. 7 And he caused it to be proclaimed and published throughout Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything; do not let them eat, or drink water. 8 But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily to God; yes, let every one turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands. 9 Who can tell if God will turn and relent, and turn away from His fierce anger, so that we may not perish? 10 Then God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God relented from the disaster that He had said He would bring upon them, and He did not do it.
Jonah did not want to go to the Gentiles and he ask for death rather than obedience to God. BUT God saw their repentance and extends His mercy and lovingkindness to them. in Jonahs’ disheartened obedience to go to Nineveh he became the voice of God to those without hope. Our obedience to the guidance of Holy Spirit directs us to the mercy and grace of God for all of His creation.
Matthew 10:5-6 These twelve Jesus sent out and commanded them, saying: “Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans. 6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
Jesus came to His own covenant people in fulfillment of His promises to Abraham BUT through Him mercy extends to all of His creation. When we repent and change our minds He is there to save us in the sacrifice of the Cross of Jesus for the sins of the world. Carla
In the region of Nineveh, it easily could have been more than 120 degrees Fahrenheit in the sun. This is the third time Jonah longs for death.
Population estimates for the ancient city vary and depend on whether the surrounding countryside is included in addition to the city proper. The estimated population for Nineveh and its surrounding areas is around 300,000 for the seventh century bc, a century after Jonah. Much of the population of Nineveh lived in the countryside outside the city walls as farmers, herdsmen, and fishermen. The mention of a great number of animals indicates the reference is to more than those inside the city walls. The figure of 120,000 is reasonable for the city’s population. Not knowing their right from left may be a figure of speech for those who have no knowledge of God, indicating spiritual and moral ignorance. Faithlife Study Bible
The Book of Jonah depicts the Lord as both sovereign and free to act in creation. God placed the worm in the plant to serve as His agent in Jonah’s life. The scorching sirocco wind that blows in from the desert draws moisture from plants, causing them to wither. The word translated is it right comes from the verb meaning “to be good,” “to do well,” or “to be pleasing.” Here, as in Genesis 4:4, the expression has to do with ethical behavior. Jonah’s anger did not arise from a desire for justice but from his own selfishness. He continued to justify his rebellious attitude. And again, God was merciful.
Pity describes an expression of deeply felt compassion (Psalm 72:13; Ezekiel 20:17; Joel 2:13, 14). However, Jonah pitied himself more than the plant. Pity is the same word used to describe Jonah’s feeling toward the plant in verse 10 and is used of God’s feeling toward the people of Nineveh.
People are of more value than animals, and animals of more value than plants, but the Lord has a concern that extends to all of His creation. The Lord’s pity comes from His character. If Jonah could take pity on a plant, which is even less important than an animal, it only made sense that God would take pity on human beings, who are made in God’s image. The Book of Jonah ends on this note of contrast between Jonah’s ungracious heart and the kind heart of the Lord. The NKJV Study Bible
Deuteronomy 1:39 ‘Moreover your little ones and your children, who you say will be victims, who today have no knowledge of good and evil, they shall go in there; to them I will give it, and they shall possess it.
Jonah 3:10–4:1 Then God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God relented from the disaster that He had said He would bring upon them, and He did not do it.But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he became angry.
Jonah 4:3–4 Therefore now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live!”Then the LORD said, “Is it right for you to be angry?”
Genesis 8:21 (ESV) "And when the LORD smelled the pleasing aroma, the LORD said in his heart, 'I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the intention of man's heart is evil from his youth. Neither will I ever again strike down every living creature as I have done. '"
Thankfully, the story does not end there. Among all the disobedience and sin, God showed His faithfulness by preserving one man and his family: "Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD" (Genesis 6:8). By God's grace and through Noah's obedience to build an ark, God saved a remnant of both humanity and all the animals that otherwise would have been wiped out in the flood (Genesis 7:7-9).
When the flood was over and he was finally able to leave the ark, after releasing the animals, Noah's very first actions were to build an altar and offer sacrifices to God (Genesis 8:20). This moment represents a beautiful turning point in the story: Genesis 6:18 tells us of the Lord's plan to establish a covenant with Noah, and the full details of the promise became clear when Noah made his sacrifice. God mercifully turned toward His creation and promised never to repeat the same destruction as He had brought about through the flood (Genesis 8:21-22).
God's promise was in spite of humanity's sinful nature.
Does this sound familiar? Consider Romans 5:8: "God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Through Noah, God restored life on earth. Through Jesus, God restores His children to eternal life in heaven. Today, let's praise God for being the covenant-making, promise-keeping God of restoration. First5
In an interview today with José Andrés (World Central Kitchen), “In the worst moments of humanity, the best of humanity always shows up.”
So. Let us begin here: gratefully, we are—everyone one of us in our DNA—the helpers. "This little light of mine..."
We can make choices that matter,
choices fueled by the power of care,
choices that make a difference.
To this day. This encounter. This conversation.
Here’s the deal: the love of God transcends and transforms what the world imposes upon us in fear, and our own sense of helplessness. That love is carried by kindness.
It’s not my desire to convert anyone. Just to remind everyone that, “Transformed people transform people.” (Richard Rohr)
“We are made for goodness and love and compassion.” Thank you, Desmond Tutu.
Sabbath Moments
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